ice'

, of avoiding eye contact in the hallway. Three days of watching my best f

d scotch of the evening. The Peterson contract lay on my desk, unsigned and probably unsigned

m Sarah: "Coming home tonig

r apartment, probably falling asleep on the couch again while I stay

ffice. Don'

ely: "We need to talk, Mau

n the dark, surrounded by the trappings of success that su

w it was Kelvin-he was the only one who still worked this late, the

me

d, older than his thirty-five years, with the kind of exhaustion that come

he said, closing

see whatever expression was on my face. "Because

s for eight years, partners for five. We've been through everything together-your father's heart attack, my wedding, th

orth fourteen m

ys. Money we can earn witho

ression. "Who we are? You keep saying that like it's some fixed thing, like we're the sa

do you

ork for nice people and makes enough money to get by. I'm tired of watching other companies-compani

ces or dir

eling every one of my thirty-seven years. "You know what happened yesterday? I got a

oper who left to

now a senior vice president at a company that's worth ten times what we are, and

at both

aking more money than both of us combined because he was willing to wo

nt to be li

matters, something that lasts. I want to walk into a room

espect what

he quaint little company that prioritizes ethics over earnings. The comp

rs sagging. "When did money become t

arah and I want to start a family. We want to buy a house, send our kids to good schools, make sure they never have to worry about money the way

contracts. Othe

I found? Small businesses that want basic data management. Local companies that need inventory

ojects he

y don't help us build anything significa

son's cont

e projects we really want to work on. The revolutionary stu

people's person

ts and services. By helping companies understand

't belie

that perfect is the enemy of good. I believe that we

at his hands. When he looked up, his eyes

he two guys who started this company because they

p. We face

being unsuccessful, of not measuring up to whatever standard you've

you? What are

. I'm afraid of losing the things that make me wh

matters. Building someth

matters too. What we sacr

window. "So what do we d

find opportunities that satisfy bo

icant opportunity requires compro

's more important-our partnersh

t friend, my business partner, my brother in every way that mattered. And I saw in his eyes the same k

ble at Meridian Technologies. Senior VP of Development. They're offering twice what I mak

re consid

Peterson contract, and held it out to him. "Including the possibility that

t throw away everything we've

ence in vision. It's about what we're willing to do to succee

ar means losing your

son I used to be wa

maybe the person you're becoming is some

be n

oss the growing chasm of our different dreams. And I felt something die betwee

appens now

partnership. Cleanly. Fairly. Without

d t

can still be friends w

call my lawyer tomorrow. We'll need to have the compa

lvi

erent things now. We've become different

rth, I hope you find what you're looking for. I hope the s

n at my desk, staring at the Peterson contract, at the city lights beyond the wind

number. One call. That's all it would take to start ov

in's eyes when he realized our friendship was over. And for the first time

in my hand. U

ice J

derstand there's been some... discord in

un down my spine

'm calling to make you an offer. A per

was over. The question was whether I'd

and felt the last bridge